Birthday special: Ashleigh Gardner – Australia all-rounder who will rule international cricket

Ashleigh Gardner, the Australian all-rounder, has been sensational since the day she made her way into the team. A regular on the Australian side, Gardner has been a part of the team for six years now and is achieving laurels for herself as well as her team.

She was made a part of the World Cup squad in 2017, and then in 2022. Gardner earned her spot after some impressive games for the national team and within just one year, she received a contract from Cricket Australia, becoming a permanent national player. After her performance in the 2017 World Cup, she represented her country in the 2018 T20I world cup.

Having played a crucial role in the World Cup, she was included in the Ashes squad as Australia registered a win against England. She was also signed by the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2018, and she ended as the highest run-scorer with 414 runs to her name in her debut year in the league.

During the 2019 Ashes, Gardner made her Test debut against England. As of now, she has 157 runs in three Tests, 667 runs in 49 ODI matches, and 815 runs in 51 T20I matches. With the ball, she has scalped four, 53, and 27 wickets in the three formats respectively.

The 24-year-old was in limelight recently, when she pulled off a one-handed catch against South Africa in the recently concluded World Cup. Before the World Cup commenced, she had contracted Covid-19, which forced her to spend ten days in isolation, forcing her to miss the first two games for her side.

However, she made a remarkable comeback in the tournament when Australia faced New Zealand in their third game. Gardner wreaked havoc in the final overs of the game and knocked up an unbeaten 48*(18) to help Australia post 269/8. While defending the score, she dismissed the set batter Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu, in the end, to put a break on New Zealand’s chase.

Garner has grabbed every opportunity that has come her way, and if her recent exploits are anything to go by, there is no doubt she will go on to make her name much bigger in world cricket.